Hold-open, magnet actuated coupler for model railroad cars



1964 c. K. EDWARDS ETAL 3,117,676

HOLD-OPEN, MAGNET ACTUATED COUPLER FOR MODEL RAILROAD CARS Filed Dec.12. 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet l LawrenceDEdwa r'cls INVENTORS Clarence K.Edward s 1954 I c. K. EDWARDS ETAL 3,117,576

0PEN, MAGNET ACTUATED COUPLER FOR MODEL RAILROAD CARS ClarenccK. wardsLawrence D. WCI rds INVENTORS BY p. 25

Jan. 14, 1964 C. K. EDWARDS EI'AL HOLD-OPEN, MAGNET ACTUATED COUPLER FORMODEL RAILROAD CARS Filed Dec. 12. 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Clarence K.Edwa rds Lawrence D. .Edwa rd 5 INVENTORS Jan- I4, 19 c. K. EDWARDS ETALHOLD-OPEN, MAGNET ACTUATED COUPLER FOR MODEL RAILROAD CARS Filed Dec.12, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 C Iarence K. Edwards LawrenceD EdwardsINVENTORS BY H1 fy.

United States Patent 3,117,676 HOLD-0PEN, MAGNET ACTUATED CGUPLER FGRMODEL RAILROAD CARS Clarence K. Edwards, 14%9' Kings Highway, andLawrence D. Edwards, 1M6 Winchester Ave., both of Medford, Greg.

Filed Dec. 12, 1961, Ser. No. 158,779 7 Claims. (Cl. 213211) Thisinvention relates to a coupler mechanism and more particularly pertainsto la hold-open, magnet-actuated coupler for model railroad cars.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide an improvedcoupler having means which are adapted upon a selected manipulation of apair of cars in association with a magnetic uncoupler to lock thecouplers in open position and permit the cars to be pushed off theuncoupler whereby to spot one of the cars.

Another object is to provide an improved magnet-actuated couplingassembly for model railroad cars facilitating rapid and positivecoupling, uncoupling, and hold-open functions.

Briefly stated, the hold-open means of the present invention isassociated with a coupler supported on the end of a car for horizontaltransverse pivotal movement. The coupler is engaged by resilient meanswhich urges it transversely inwardly to a car coupling position butwhich permits it to pivot transversely outwardly to a car uncouplingposition. A stationary magnetic uncoupler mounted between the tracks forthe cars operates on the coupler member to urge it to an uncouplingposition. The hold-open means is constructed and arranged whereby upon acertain manipulation of a pair of cars over the magnetic uncoupler a carmay be pushed off the magnetic uncoupler by the other car to a spottedposition and the pushing car then moved away freely from the spottedcar.

The invention will be better understood and additional objects thereofwill become more apparent from the accompanying specification and claimsconsidered together with the accompanying drawings, wherein likenumerals of reference indicate like parts; and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of a pair of railroadcars utilizing couplers employing the principles of a first embodimentof the present hold-open means;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary side-elevational view, partly in section,showing in enlarged detail the hold-open means of the first embodiment;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary plan view, partly in section, taken on theline 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURES 4- through 8 are fragmentary plan views showing variouscoupling, uncoupling, and hold-open functions of the first embodiment;

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of a pair of coupledrailroad cars utilizing couplers employing principles of a secondembodiment of the present holdopen means;

FIGURE 10' is a fragmentary side elevational view, partly in section,showing in enlarged detail hold-open means of the second embodiment;

FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary plan view, partly in. section, taken on theline 1111 of FIGURE 10; and

FIGURES 12 through 16 are fragmentary plan views showing variouscoupling, uncoupling, and hold-open functions of the second embodiment.

Referring first to FIGURE 1 there is illustrated a pair of modelrailroad cars 29 mounted on trucks 22 movable on tracks 24. The cars areadapted to be connected by couplers 26 mounted on each end of the cars,and for this purpose a hollow box 39, FIGURES 2 and 3, open at its outerend, is longitudinally extended either as an attachment or as a part ofthe under frame of the cars. An

internally threaded hollow post 32, which may be formed integrally withthe top of the box, extends downwardly. The lower side of the box isclosed by means of a plate 34 held in place by a screw 36, the threadsof which engage those in hollow post 32.

The inner end of a drawbar 40* is journaled on the post 32'. It carriesan inner projecting tab 42 against which presses a compression spring 44thepurpose of which is to urge the drawbar inwardly to a couplingposition, i.e., a position substantially aligned with the longitudinalaxis of the car.

' The outer end of the drawbar has an integral coupler head or knuckle48. This member is formed with an inwardly directed, transverselydisposed hook 5i) and an outwardly projecting, transversely disposed arm52. It will be observed from FIG. 4 that the configuration of hook 56 issuch that when a pair of them, one on each of adjacent cars, are coupledtogether, they are interlocked and cannot be uncoupled as long as apulling force is applied to the drawbar. It is to be noted further thatthe outermost end of drawbar 49, comprising an edge of arm 52, is curvedlaterally outwardly and forward at an angle relative to the longitudinalcenter line of the cars, thus providing a cam surface for guiding thecouplers of adjacent cars into automatic coupling engagement with eachother.

Extending downwardly from the coupler head and in a direction oppositethat of arm 52 is a bracket 56 which supports a vertically extendingmagnetic member 58. In a preferred construction bracket 56 has anintegral hollow portion or collar 69 for receiving and holding amagnetic member 58, the latter member projecting vertically downwardlyto a point closely approaching the surface of the tracks 24 forinfluenced relation with an uncoupler memher to be described;

Collar 60 of bracket 56 has a forwardly projecting finger or tab 62.which, as apparent in FIGURE 3, is laterally offset from the hook 56 inthe direction of coupling movement of the latter, and furthermore is ofa length to project forwardly beyond the reversely extending end portionof the hook. Gne purpose of tab 62' is to limit the opening movement ofthe coupler by engagement with a tab on an adjacent coupler when one caris pushing another. car. A second purpose of the tab 62 is to lock thecoupler in open position also by engagement with a tab on an adjacentcoupler but positioned in crossed-over relation therewith. That is, thecouplers are rotatable an amount suflicient, and the tabs are locatedselectively, such that in a fully open position, FIGURE 6, the tabs onadjacent couplers are crossed over from their relative positions whenthe hooks are coupled, and the couplers thus cannot close when one caris pushing the other or when one car is pulled away from the other.

Utilized withthe above described coupler is a magnetic uncoupler 63.This uncoupler preferably comprises a permanent or electromagnet and ismounted in a stationary position between the tracks 24. A polearrangement of the magnet which serves efficiently for the intendedpurpose comprises continuous or multiple side edge poles 749 of similarpolarity, FIGURE 5, and a continuous or multiple pole 72 of the oppositepolarity extending longitudinally and centrally of the magnet. In thearrangement illustrated the edge pole area 76 is of north polarity andthe central pole area is of south polarity. Member 5% on the couplercomprises a magnet with the north polarity thereof being disposeddownwardly.

Thus it will be apparent that when the coupler is moved over the magnet63 the member 58 will be urged toward the longitudinal center of themagnet by the combined repelling forces of the north poles of the magnetand magnetic member and the attracting forces of the south pole tagesthereof, reference being made particularly to FIG- URES 48. In View ofthe structure of hook 513 as Well as the biased position of the drawbarsby the springs 44, couplers on adjacent cars will automatically couplewhen the cars are pushed together at a point away from the magnet 68.Such coupled position is shown in FIG- URE 4.

As stated hereinbefore, when the cars are pulled across the magnet 68the hooks 59 will remain interlocked as long as a pulling force isapplied to the drawbar. When one car is pushing the other, whether overthe magnet or not, the coupling heads will move apart to an intermediateor partially spread position, FIG. 5. The arresting of outward movementof the coupler heads is accomplished by the engagement of tabs 62 witheach other. Therefore since the coupler heads are only partially spread,they can with facility move together again to a coupled position as soonas the pushing force between the cars diminishes and the coupler headsare not in the area of the magnet.

When it is desired to uncouple the cars they are stopped with thecouplers disposed over the magnet 68 and one car is pushed toward theother sufi'iciently to separate the hooks 5t} longitudinally from eachother. In such relation wherein a pulling force no longer exists on thecoupler assembly, the magnetic members 58 are urged toward the center ofthe magnet to separate the hooks 5t) laterally, one from the other, to afully uncoupled but partially opened position (FIG. 5). Thus one car canbe pulled away from the other.

When it is desired to spot a car at a point distant from the magnet 68,the cars first are stopped with the couplers over the magnet 68 and thenpushed together an amount sufiicient to allow the hooks S to disengagefrom each other whereby they move first to the partially open position(FIG. and then to a fully open position, FIG. 6, by separating the carssufiiciently to disengage the tab 62. In this fully open position itwill be noted that the tabs 62 have crossed over relative to alongitudinal center line of the coupling assembly. Therefore thecouplers cannot lock together as long as these tabs are crossed over.One'car then can be pushed to a spotted position, and when such aposition has been reached the lead car can be pulled away. In thislatter movement the oppositely directed hooks 50 cannot lock since thetabs are sufliciently elongated to cause the hooks to miss each other.FIG. 7 illustrates the crossed over engagement of the tabs when one caris pushing the other to a spotted position, and FIG. 8 illustrates theseparating of the couplers wherein the tabs slide 01f each other andprevent engagement of hooks 50.

In the form of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 9-16 the couplersare indicated generally by the numeral 74; The couplers are supportedone on each end of a car having a hollow box 76 opening forwardly andhaving an internally threaded hollow post 78 extending downwardly. Thelower side of the box is closed by means of a plate Si held in place bya screw 82.

Pivotally mounted at one end in the box by means of a post 86 is adrawbar 88 which is urged to a central or coupling position by acentering device 90 formed of a spring material. This device is cut awayand bent inwardly at its terminal end to form spurs 92 which dig intothe side wall of the box to secure it in place. The side portions arecut away and bent upwardly to form leaf springs 94 whiph may pressagainst the side walls of the box and the drawbar 88 to urge the latterto its center or coupling position.

The outer end of the drawbar 88 carries an integral coupler head orknuckle 98 formed in two parts. A first part 160 is rigid with thedrawbar and is formed with a forwardly and obliquely extending arm 162,the inwardly disposed surface of which is provided with a cam surfacefor guiding a companion coupler into coupling engagement.

A second part 13 3 of the coupler head is hinged to the first part bymeans of a post 194 and has a hook 106 arranged for interlockingengagement with a similar hook on a companion coupler. These hooks areshaped in a manner such that they cannot be separated as long as apulling force is exerted on the drawbars. They are urged continuously toa position of hooking engagement by resilient means such as acompression spring 168 interposed between the base of the hook and asuitable abutment on the drawbar 88 or part 1061 of the coupler head.

In a preferred connecting structure between the parts and 1&3, theformer has a suitable vertical bore 110 for pivotally receiving the post1% and has a forwardly and side opening aperture 112 communicating withthe vertical bore 110 for receiving a tongue 114 on the second part 103of the coupler head. Tongue 114 is integrally connected to post 104 forpivotal movement therewith, aperture 1312 opening suitably in forwardand side directions of the part to permit desired rotational movement ofpart 103 in coupling and uncoupling functions.

Arm 102 terminates in a sharpened edge 116 and part 103 has a recess 118in its leading edge. The arrangement of edge 116 and recess 118 is suchthat these elements are engaged respectively by a similar recess andedge in a companion coupler which as will be seen is adapted to serve ashold open means under certain conditions.

Post lti icomprises a magnetic element which when influenced by a magnetis adapted to swing the pivotal part 1G3 of coupler 98 to uncoupledposition. Post 104 is bent so that it extends forwardly and laterally ofthe car and is positioned ofi-center of the longitudinal center line ofa permanent or electro-magnet 126 which is placed stationarily betweenthe tracks. The polarity of the magnet preferably is parallel to thetracks, with the poles being continuous along the side edges thereofwhereby the magnetic members 194 are caused to rotate outwardly inopposite directions in an uncoupling function.

With regard to the operation of the FIGURE 9 embodiment, FIGURE 12illustrates the coupled engagement of the hooks 106 in a pullingoperation. Such hook engagernent will remain even though the cars arepulled over the magnet. FIGURE 13 illustrates the partially openposition of the hooks when the cars are pushed over the magnet wherebyit will be seen that as soon as they move off the magnet they willreadily couple again. This partially open position is established by themutual abutment of the projecting edges 116 and the associatedprojecting portions of parts 163 laterally outward of the recesses 118.

In stopping a pair of cars with their couplers over the magnet and thenseparating the hooks 106 longitudinally the magnetic members will swingoutwardly to uncouple the hooks 196, FIGURE 14. One car can then bepulled away since the hooks are disengaged.

If it is desired to spot a car at a point away from the magnet, the carsare first manipulated suitably as just described whereby the hooks swingto their outermost position, FIGURE 14, one car is then pushed into theother. In such movement and in the wide open position of the parts 103,edges 116 of arms 1% catch in the respective recesses 118 to lock thecouplers in open position, FIGURE 15. One car can thus be pushed to aspotted position and when such position has been reached the lead carcan be pulled away, the arrangement of edges 116 and recesses 118 beingsuch as to cause the hooks to miss each other, FlGURE 15, in theseparation of the ears.

Thus, the tabs 62 and. the cooperating edges l lo and recesses 13% formmutual abutments which serve to limit uncoupling movement of the hooksto a partially open position and to limit coupling movement of the hooksfrom the fully open position to a hol -open position.

Thus in accordance with the present invention, a simplilied but positiveacting coupling assembly is provided for model trains. Such assembly iscapable of automatically coupling a pair of cars, of uncouplin the cars,or of locking the couplers open so that one car can be pushed to aposition away from the magnetic uncoupler and automatically released atsuch position. The coupling assembly hereof thus facilitates desiredmanipulations of the cars in their various operations on a track set-up.

it is to be understood that the form of our invention herein shown anddescribed is to be taken as preferred example of the same and thatvarious changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit of our invention or thescope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. A magnetic coupling assembly for model railroad cars comprising apair of coupler members, hook means on the coupler members arranged forreleasable coupling engagement, means pivotally mounting the couplermembers for horizontal pivotal movement on the ends of the respectivecars and projecting longitudinally toward each other, resilient meansengaging the coupler members and urging them transversely toward eachother to a car coupling position, the coupling members being pivotableaway from each other to an open, car uncoupling position, a stationarymagnet mounted on a lower supporting surface, a magnetic elementdepending from each of the coupler members to a point for influencedrelation with the magnetic held of the magnet whereby to urge thecoupler members to their open, car uncoupling position, and hold-openabutment means on the coupler members projecting toward each other andarranged for interengagement during the transverse movement of thecoupler members from their open, car-uncoupling position to their carcoupled position, to stop the coupler members and hold the hook meansdisengaged.

2. The magnetic coupling assembly of claim 1 wherein the hold-open meanscomprise longitudinally disposed tabs.

3. The magnetic coupling assembly of claim 1 wherein the hold-open meanscomprise recess and projection means on one of said coupler members andprojection and recess means on said other coupler member adaptedrespectively for interengagement.

4. The magnetic coupling assembly of claim 1 wherein the hold-open meanscomprise longitudinally disposed tabs positioned selectively on thecoupler members to be in crossed-over relation in the open, caruncoupled position of the coupler members for abutment and hold-openinterengagement.

5. magnetic coupling assembly of claim 1 wherein the magnet has edgepoles of similar polarity and a central pole of opposite polarity andthe magnetic members comprise a magnet having a polarity at their lowerends similar to the edge poles.

6. A magnetic coupling assembly for model railroad cars comprising apair of coupler members, hook means on the coupler members arranged forreleasable coupling engagement, m ans pivotally mounting the couplermembers for horizontal pivotal movement on the ends of the respectivecars and projecting longitudinally toward each other, esilient meansengaging the coupler members and ur ng them transversely toward eachother to a car coupling position, the coupling members being pivotableaway from each other to an open, car uncoupling position, a stationarymagnet mounted on a lower supporting surface, a magnetic elementdepending from each or" the coupler members to a point for influencedrelation with the magnetic field of the magnet whereby to urge thecoupler members to their uncoupling positions, and abutment means on thecoupler members projecting toward each other and arranged forinterengagement with each other first when moving transversely outwardlyto hold the coupler members in a partially uncoupled position and secondafter being uncoupled and being in crossed over relation to serve ashold-open means.

7. A coupler for model railroad cars comprising a cou pler membersupported on the end of a car and having horizontal transverse pivotalmovement, hook means on the coupler member arranged for couplingengagement with similar hook means on a companion coupler, resilientmeans en aging the coupler member and urging it transversely to a carcoupling position wherein the hook means is positioned for engagementwith a similarly positioned hook means on a companion coupler, thecoupler memher being pivotable outwardly to an open, car uncouplingposition, and hold-open abutment means on the coupler member arranged toproject into the path of a similar abutment means on a companion couplerduring transverse movement of the coupler member from its open, caruncoupling position toward its car coupling position, to stop thecoupler member and hold the hook means disengaged irom the hook means ofthe companion coupler.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,868,393 Bailey Jan. 13, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 582,392 Germany June 10,1931

1. A MAGNETIC COUPLING ASSEMBLY FOR MODEL RAILROAD CARS COMPRISING APAIR OF COUPLER MEMBERS, HOOK MEANS ON THE COUPLER MEMBERS ARRANGED FORRELEASABLE COUPLING ENGAGEMENT, MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTING THE COUPLERMEMBERS FOR HORIZONTAL PIVOTAL MOVEMENT ON THE ENDS OF THE RESPECTIVECARS AND PROJECTING LONGITUDINALLY TOWARD EACH OTHER, RESILIENT MEANSENGAGING THE COUPLER MEMBERS AND URGING THEM TRANSVERSELY TOWARD EACHOTHER TO A CAR COUPLING POSITION, THE COUPLING MEMBERS BEING PIVOTABLEAWAY FROM EACH OTHER TO AN OPEN, CAR UNCOUPLING POSITION, A STATIONARYMAGNET MOUNTED ON A LOWER SUPPORTING SURFACE, A MAGNETIC ELEMENTDEPENDING FROM EACH OF THE COUPLER MEMBERS TO A POINT FOR INFLUENCEDRELATION WITH THE MAGNETIC FIELD OF THE MAGNET WHEREBY TO URGE THECOUPLER MEMBERS TO THEIR OPEN, CAR UNCOUPLING POSITION, AND HOLD-OPENABUTMENT MEANS ON THE COUPLER MEMBERS PROJECTING TOWARD EACH OTHER ANDARRANGED FOR INTERENGAGEMENT DURING THE TRANSVERSE MOVEMENT OF THECOUPLER MEMBERS FROM THEIR OPEN, CAR-UNCOUPLING POSITION TO THEIR CARCOUPLED POSITION, TO STOP THE COUPLER MEMBERS AND HOLD THE HOOK MEANSDISENGAGED.